Visit from the Engineer

Tim Lucas

Tim Lucas, from Price & Myers 3D Engineering, visited the site on Wednesday 26th September to review progress and get to grips with the distortion problem. I fear that it could be one of those projects which is designed on computer but in real life takes on a different form. Tim modelled the problem on his computer. His theory is that the bridge was designed to be built on a flat level surface, whereas in reality we have a difference in levels of some 560mm. There have always been a difference in foundation levels for this project. His immediate solution is to raise the lower end by 560mm and the problem will be greatly reduced. The other option voiced by me was to jack up the lower short end by 185mm and the higher short end by 65mm. Tim thought that this would best be done without sacrificial chocks. The beams will twist and my fear is that we are going to have a major headache defining and placing the balustrades.

It has been agreed that Tim will have a look at the geometry of the bridge and come up with some possible solutions. In the meantime I have asked Will McMorran of McMorran & Gatehouse to press for a meeting to review the problem and come up with a solution. Will McMorran remarked that there are many innovative design projects which throw up all sorts of problems which you never hear about...a solution will be found and you will hear about it!

Later the same evening Will telephoned me to say that he and his son had made a model of the deck. Will explained briefly that the design replicates a barrel vault and that Price & Myers took a line straight over rather than from one corner to the other. The consulting architect and the consulting engineers failed to pick up on this.